The Curse of the Catfish
Hockey is a game of tradition and superstition. It has been told that someone who touches the Stanley Cup before they win it will never be able to win it. Players don't shave during the playoffs. Fans have also evolved traditions over time. For example, Detroit tosses an octopus onto the ice.
The hockey gods are fickle. In 1999, Nashville did their version of it, against the Detroit Red Wings. From the Tennessean :
Wolf bought a nine-pound catfish and wrapped it in newspaper and plastic wrap. On Jan. 26, 1999, Wolf tucked the catfish underneath his Predators’ jersey, walked in and waited for Nashville’s first goal. The stench started wafting around him until the Preds’ lone goal in what ended up a 4-1 loss.
Wolf said he tossed the catfish, then ran up the aisle. Friends around the arena provided cover and a distraction by running as well.
In mocking an original six franchise, the hockey gods have decided that Predators fans will suffer for an undisclosed period of time.
Why would something like this matter? When you break rules bad things happen. In 1985 construction began on a skyscraper called One Liberty Place in Philadelphia. That building was the first to be taller than City Hall, which had a statue of William Penn on it. The city had abided by a gentleman's agreement not to build higher than the statue. Once that agreement was broken the curse of Billy Penn was enacted. The city of Philadelphia didn't win another championship until 2008, a little over a year after a new statue had been affixed to the top of the now tallest building in the city, the Comcast Center.
I don't know how exactly how to sacrifice a catfish to the hockey gods but let's figure out a way to get that done.